Lebanese food in its colorful form at Zahr El Rouman

Lebanese food is one that impresses. Lebanese food is one that comforts. And Lebanese food is one that makes me really happy. So there was no reason why I wouldn’t look forward to my visit to Zahr El Rouman.

Named Flower of the Pomegranate, this Lebanese restaurant located in Business Bay offers a stylish dining experience with a selection of Lebanese classics, Middle Eastern favorites and fusion food in a chic setting. Keeping up with their name, they also have a lot of pomegranate influence in their cuisine. Plus they have an extensive variety of sheesha that would go hand in hand with sport matches displayed on their TV screens or a board game of backgammon with a friend.

We were fortunate enough to be stuffed with all the bestsellers on their menu (which was probably everything on their menu!). And to top it all, the hospitality we received was one of a kind – so humble, so helpful and so friendly.

As you read through this blog post, you will see details of everything we tried, which in all honesty, will definitely make you want to go to Zahr El Rouman.

Appetizers

Appetizers were galore at Zahr El Rouman lunch. You would think this was everything we ate, but the dishes pictured here are only the starters. With their never ending variety of hot and cold mezzeh, we were completely spoilt for choice.

Here’s what we tried

Crispy fried shrimps with a crunchy coating and tender inside, served with mustard sauce

Cheese Osmalieh with a crisp exterior and slightly sweet fried cheese stuffing, served with tomato mash

Creamy Baba Ganoush with walnut and pomegranate seeds and stuffed Vine Leaves with tomatoes and a touch of lemon

 

Classic creamy Hommos made with chickpeas, tahini and a drizzle of olive oil served alongside a selection of pickles and olives with freshly baked pita bread

Grilled Halloumi salad topped with zaatar spices, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts and zaatar leaves.

Drinks

Don’t miss the two homemade drink specialties pictured here. On the left is the House Lemonade pitcher housing a thick creamy blend of mango, lemon, mint and ginger. The presence of sweet mango cuts the tanginess of the lemon. The one on the right is the Pomegranate pitcher, one of their specialties which keeps up to the restaurant’s name. A light and tarty pomegranate juice is accented with pomegranate seeds, diced apple and strawberries to balance out the smoothness with a slight crunch.

Lentil Soup

While we enjoyed that extensive variety of appetizers at Zahr El Rouman, we were also served this creamy lentil soup with some fried bread pieces and lemon. A lot like the Indian dal, this soup of the day was milder in terms of spiciness and so so soothing.

I wouldn’t mind relaxing with a cup of this comforting soup on a chilly evening and a piece of freshly baked pita to dip in it.

Dishes of the day

While we tried to contemplate over which appetizer to dine in on and which one to take back home, our server at Zahr El Rouman brought the specials of the day to our table.

The restaurant serves a selection of daily specials, each perfect in its own way, which would make you want to go back everyday and try out more.
We were humbled to receive one portion of each – Chicken Stroganoff (top center), Sheesh Barak with Kebeh (bottom center) and Kharouf Mahshi (extreme right). Both, the stroganoff and sheesh barak were served with rice, but we chose to go with only one portion since the Kharouf Mahshi had its own rice base and we knew we wouldn’t be able to finish it all.

The Kharouf Mahshi featured brown rice topped with juicy lamb meat, cashew nuts and pine nuts. This was served alongside yogurt and gravy. I obviously went nuts looking at all those cashews. Roasted and slightly tender, they lent the perfect crunchy-creamy taste to this rice dish.
Talking about creamy, the chicken stroganoff was such a delight. Inspired from Asian recipes, it was cooked in mushroom sauce with chicken pieces and peppers.
The Sheesh Barak with Kebeh came with mince stuffed kibbeg and mince pastry in a cheese sauce base.
My favorite of the three was the stroganoff, maybe because it was more continental than others. But the cashews came a close second.
in it.

Desserts

After all that appetizers variety, followed by the three special dishes of the day, we were almost expecting to receive a wide selection of desserts. And so we did.

One of these, and the most natural one, was the watermelon plate featuring thin slices of the fruit. These were decorated in the shell of the fruit in an attractive fashion.

The little jar housed a creamy Halawi cheesecake topped with biscuit crumble, chocolate sauce and mint garnish.

The most decadent one, in my opinion, was the date cake brownie. Oozing date syrup in every bite, this scrumptious cake was placed in a bowl of caramel date sauce. It was served alongside sweet vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries.

My recommendation: make sure you get the best of their appetizers and mains, but save some room for the cake.

It wouldn’t be fair to leave without sipping on karak. So we made sure we had that too. It would make a great choice with their breakfast menu which I will definitely try the next time around.

Zahr El Rouman

Location: Millennium Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, Dubai
Contact: 04 4551611